Jerusalem: Hundreds of settlers of the Israeli occupation bursted into the compound of Al-Aqsa Mosque early on Sunday, said the Islamic Awqaf Department in Jerusalem in a press statement.
According to Kuwait News Agency, some 1,251 settlers stormed the mosque courtyard, performing Jewish rites amid yelling that echoed across the premises. It was noted that Itamar Ben-Gvir, the minister of national security in the occupation government, was among them. Ben-Gvir led, last night, a settlers' demonstration in Jerusalem's old sector as a prelude to storming the mosque to commemorate purported destruction of Jewish temples in ancient times.
Meanwhile, the Jerusalem Governorate issued a statement warning against a dangerous and escalatory scheme advocated by the Jewish "Al-Haikal" groups. It noted that the settlers' actions were in line with a well-studied colonialist project aimed at undermining the historic and legal status of the mosque and enforcing the occupation by force. These radical groups have been adamant on bursting into the mosque every year, desecrating its sanctity, the statement said.